Cerulean Wing
by Dianna Phantom27
Summary: AU: Marinette might not have been chosen to be Ladybug, but that doesn't mean she doesn't have the potential to be a great holder. Gabriel Agreste sees this potential and decides that perhaps it is time to pass the Peacock Miraculous onto a new Holder. With Ladybug and Chat Noir behind her, Marinette becomes Paris's newest superhero, Cerulean Wing.
1. Chapter 1

**I got the idea of making Marinette the Peacock from imthepunchlord's series "Always a Hero, No Matter the Miraculous." Since I couldn't get the idea out of my head, I decided to put my own spin on it.**

 **This story will include quite a few minor OCs, many of my personal Headcanons about the Kwamis and the Miraculous, past Miraculous Holders.**

 **This first Chapter is a bit of a prologue/set up chapter, but I had a lot of fun writing it and I hope you enjoy!**

 **This is also cross posted on my Ao3 and Tumblr**

* * *

 **Chapter 1: Hats and Discovery**

Marinette wasn't watching the newscast on her computer as she carefully embroidered the band on the derby hat she was working on. Mr. Pigeon was a strange Akuma for sure, but he didn't seem to be truly dangerous. He was providing Marinette with plenty of time to finish her hat. She'd actually be early this time!

Besides, Ladybug and Chat Noir had this rather strange attack under control, even if it looked like Chat was sneezing every few minutes. Marinette trusted them (allergies aside). When Nino had been akumatized they'd been there to save the day and Ladybug had taken the time to help Marinette calm Manon down when they'd been trapped in the ice covered carousel. Ivan even said Chat Noir came by the night after he'd been akumatized to make sure he was doing ok. Surely heroes like them could handle a Man-Pigeon.

About an hour before the hat was due, just and Marinette was sewing the feathers onto the hat, Ladybug was giving one of her short post battle interviews. Chat Noir never appeared during these, Marinette wasn't sure why but she got the impression that he was camera shy.

Marinette set the hat aside for a second and leaned in closer to the screen. Ladybug was tiny, hovering around five feet and was almost always dwarfed by Chat's near six-foot height. She looked almost like a fairy with wide blue eyes, angelically gold short hair, and two translucent ladybug wings sporting from her shoulder blades. If Ladybug could fly with those wings she didn't often, preferring her magic yoyo.

Marinette wasn't interested in the superhero herself or even what she was saying (it was just the usual post-akuma update). No, it was Ladybug's outfit that always interested Marinette. It looked almost like a cheerleading uniform, consisting of a red and black spotted mask, a black faux turtleneck, a ladybug printed pleated skirt, red and black "Wonder Woman" boots, and matching red and black gloves. At first glance, Ladybug appeared to be wearing some type of spandex, but Marinette wasn't convinced. Chat Noir wore some type of hyper-durable leather, so why would Ladybug wear something as flimsy and easily breakable (relatively speaking) as simple spandex.

Marinette grumbled under her breath as she returned to her hat. She wanted to get her hands on Ladybug's suit and examine the fabric. Marinette was sure if she could get her hands on it she could figure it out.

Marinette smiled in satisfaction as she tied off the embroidery thread. Done! And with thirty minutes to spare! Marinette quickly packed the hat in a hatbox and made her way to the school. It would only take her a few minutes, but she wanted to be early.

Alya actually looked surprised to see Marinette actually early, setting her hat on the display pillar in the entrance-slash-gym of the school.

"Look who's actually on time." Alya placed a hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow at her friend. "This must be really important to you. You were even late for our first Maths test."

"This could be extremely important towards my career!" Marinette carefully leaned over and smoothed one of the faux feathers.

"You're fifteen."

"So are you, but you still run after Akuma and take dangerous videos of Ladybug and Chat Noir," Marinette said matter-of-factly.

"Touché…" Alya said, elbowing Marinette lightly in the ribs, "You sure this isn't just because Adrien will be modeling the winning hat?"

Marinette flushed, turning a rather bright shade of red. "Alya!"

Alya's face darkened as she looked over at one of the other pedestals. "Uh, don't look now girl, but…"

Marinette looked over where Alya was pointed and gasped. Sitting on Chloe's pedestal was the exact hat Marinette had spent hours slaving over! Shock quickly morphed into anger. How dare she? Did Chloe even realize what she was doing?

"She… she… She stole my design!" Marinette growled and tried to stop her fists from shaking.

"Well?" Alya asked, "Aren't you going to confront her?"

Marinette closed her eyes and took a slow, deep breath before shaking her head. She looked as calm as she was going to get. "No, confronting her now isn't going to do any good. I'm going to do this like a designer."

Marinette took another deep breath and stood up straight, squaring her shoulders. She used the couple minutes of free time to look at Juleka's and Max's hats. Juleka's was more art than wearable fashion, but it was more Juleka than a wearable hat would ever be.

Marinette took a deep breath as Mr. Damocles, Adrien, and Mr. Agreste's assistant (she was pretty sure she'd heard Adrien call her Natalie) walked over.

It only took Mr. Agreste (who was judging from over a video conference) a split second to realize something was wrong. "Hm, turn the tablet back to Ms. Bourgeois' hat." Marinette took another deep breath. "Is this a joke?"

Chloe's drama queen "I'm getting what I want no matter what" attitude took over within a second. "No fair! Marinette copied my design! It's scandalous, how could you do that?" Chloe dissolved into crocodile tears.

Marinette ignored her rival/bully and cleared her throat. "I apologize for the situation Mr. Agreste, but I can prove that this derby hat is my original design."

"Go ahead," Mr. Agreste allowed, nodding just a little.

"Well, everything on my derby hat is hand-made. From the embroidery, to the weaving of the band, to the stitching of the brim. All done by myself. And last there's a special design element that only the true designer knows about." Marinette flipped the hat over, revealing her name carefully stitched in gold embroidery thread along the band. "I signed mine."

Marinette couldn't help but feel a little smug as Chloe gasped, knocking over her pedestal and hat. Chloe let out a loud cry before running off. Good, Marinette thought, Any designer worth her silk would know you never steal another's design.

Mr. Agreste actually look impressed, "Very exquisite creation. You definitely have the laboring hands of a hat maker, miss..."

"Marinette!" Adrien spoke up before Marinette could.

"Congratulations on your demonstration, Miss Marinette. You're the winner."

Marinette gasped. She won? She actually won? "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"

"Adrien will wear your derby on our next advertising campaign."

Adrien reached forward accidently touching Marinette's hands as he reached for the hat. Marinette froze, a small startled gasp escaping her as blush creeped across her cheeks.

Adrien, ever so clueless, didn't even seem to notice. "Awesome job, Marinette."

Marinette chose not to respond, instead putting on a sheepish smile to hide her embarrassment. Adrien had touched her! Adrien had touched her and she couldn't even find it in her to speak like a normal person! Adrien gently took the hat and started to place it on his head, only to stop and yet out a violent sneeze.

"Sorry…" Adrien rubbed his nose, looking like his sinuses were suddenly clogged, "I'm allergic to feathers…"

Adrien sneezed again. And again. If Marinette had been looking at the other students, she would have seen Rose tugging on Juleka's arm frantically. Adrien sneezed again.

Marinette just smiled at Adrien. It was very professional of him to still take the hat when the feather seemed to be making it impossible for him not to sneeze. "Gesundheit!"

* * *

Gabriel Agreste sighed, running a hand down his face. He knew this would happen one day, but he'd hoped that Ladybug and Chat Noir would be able to handle this one their own. He should have known that Duusu would want to help Noroo; they were partners after all.

Gabriel opened one of his desk drawers and pulled out a small Polaroid photograph. It was a typical 80's Polaroid, with dull color and the image of two teens squeezed into the frame. It had been taken after a particularly difficult battle with the Order of the Grand Circle. Felicia (who had went by Flutter at the time) had screamed "partner photo," grabbed Le Peon around the shoulders, and snapped the photograph before Gabriel could form full protests. They were covered in sweat and grime, his lip was split, she had a blue bruise on the side of her face, and Le Peon looked generally ruffled.

Gabriel had retired years ago, when Adrien had been born. He'd asked Master Fu for permission to follow the oldest tradition of passage, the one the Circles currently in the US, India, and Japan currently used. At one time, their circle had as well but their centers weren't the Lion and the Crocodile or the Seahorse and the Wolf or the Hedgehog and the Scorpion. Their Centers were the Ladybug and the Black Cat. Uncontrolled creation and controlled destruction.

So it wasn't unheard of when Gabriel had asked if he could find his own successor, just unusual. He knew that today would come one day and after Ladybug and Chat Noir appeared and Felicia's butterflies were being used for evil it would only be a matter of time. But, a girl in his son's class? One who showed all the pride, cunning, and creativity of a peacock?

Of course it was Adrien's school. Gabriel was pretty sure Ladybug, at least, went to his school. This just made Gabriel want to pull Adrien out of school more. If he did that, though, Adrien would surely be akumatized. Hell, the only reason he'd let Adrien go to school was so that he wouldn't be akumatized. Of course, if an Order member found Hawk Moth and told him Le Peon and Flutter's son was out and about in the world, Adrien would be lucky to be akumatized.

Gabriel sighed and opened a videoconference. He hesitated for a second, hovering over a name. Did he honestly want to make this call? Gabriel clicked on the name. Who else was he supposed to talk about this with?

"Oh my god, you found them!" The African-French woman popped up on the screen within three seconds. She was a little to close to the screen, but Gabriel could tell she was outside somewhere.

Gabriel pinched the bridge of his nose, "Bianca. I have no desire to examine your pores."

Bianca adjusted the phone so she was better placed on the screen. "Tell me everything about the new larva."

"You assume that's why I'm calling you."

"Gabe…"

"Please don't call me Gabe."

Bianca ignored him, continuing her sentence, "You've never been the type to make causal calls. You got upset at Felicia once because she used her cane to contact you on patrol to try to find out where you were."

Gabriel glared at her, but wasn't able to think up a real argument.

Bianca smirked, "So… the larva?"

"She's not a Bee, Bianca. Stop calling her a larva."

"Fine. So… you didn't call me to tell me about her. What's up?"

"She's in attendance at Adrien's school."

"You let Adrien go to school?"

"It's a new development."

Bianca hummed, thinking for a second. "Duusu is a good kwami. He'll make sure your… chick…." (she sounded out the word chick like it was Ancient Greek) "Doesn't do anything rash or stupid. This isn't Plagg or Vixx we're talking about. Adrien will be as safe as anyone else at that school is."

"Nobody is safe in Paris anymore, Bianca."

"Yeah. I heard about Nooroo. But Ladybug and Chat Noir are doing a good job. Loosen up a little, Gabe. Just this once. Let Duusu have a new chick to look after and teach. This isn't just about Adrien."

Gabriel smiled just a little, "Have you always been this rational?"

Bianca laughed, "Hives thrive on logic and order, so yes."

"Very well, I'll take your advice. This time."

* * *

 **Some lines and scenes were taken directly from the show. I don't own these.**

 **Mr. Agreste hasn't seen Marinette's shy, nervous side. The Marinette he saw was confident and rightly proud of her work. This will be explored in later chapters, I promise.**

 **Bianca was the Holder of the Bee Miraculous. She is an OC.**

 **I decided to make Rose Ladybug because I'd never seen it done before and I thought it would be fun. She's so sweet and adorable and I can totally see Adrien treating a tiny adorable Ladybug as his little sister. Most of the story will be from the POV of Marinette, Adrien, or Rose from now on.**


	2. Chapter 2

**I got the idea of making Marinette the Peacock from imthepunchlord's series "Always a Hero, No Matter the Miraculous." Since I couldn't get the idea out of my head, I decided to put my own spin on it.**

 **This is also cross posted on my Ao3 and Tumblr**

* * *

 **Chapter Two: Princesses and Artists**

Today was not Marinette's day. Today was absolutely, positively not her day that started by being paired up with Chloe and Sabrina for a physics project was destined to be bad, but it just kept getting worse. First, Marinette, in what must have been a bout of insanity inspired by Ladybug and Alya, had decided to stand up to Chloe on Sabrina's behalf. That had convinced Sabrina that they were best friends, and while Marinette was all for making new friends this was taking it a little too far.

Then, an Akuma had attacked Chloe. Nothing bad had happened; Ladybug and Chat Noir had showed up insanely quickly and chased the Akuma off. Almost immediately after the attack, Sabrina's parents (both of them being in law enforcement) had heard about the attack and called her home before the two girls had even been able to start their project and Marinette hadn't had anything to else to do so she went home as well.

And finally, the cream of the crop, the Akuma, who turned out to be Nathaniel calling himself Evillustrator, had erased her window and asked her to spend his birthday with him. Like a date. Marinette had agreed out of what was mostly fear of what he would do if she said no. She had said yes to going on a date with someone who was essentially being psychically controlled because she was scared of him. Everything about this made her insides feel slimy. Like tar had coated her internal organs.

"Ladybug and Chat Noir are going to lecture me, aren't they?" she asked her empty room, moving to touch to edge of her erased window curiously. Huh, it wasn't sharp, just no glass than suddenly glass. That was a little scary, actually. That was not how the laws of physics were supposed to work.

Fumbling with her phone, Marinette opted to ignore the sixteen missed calls from Sabrina and hit the speed dial app to call Alya.

Alya picked up after the second ring, "Mari! I heard you were there when the Akuma attacked Chloe! You have to tell me everything!"

"Maybe later. Alya this is really important; do you think Ladybug and Chat Noir pay attention to your blog?"

"I mean, I think so," Alya said, "But there's no way to really know for sure. Why?"

"I…I need to get a message to them. This was the only way I could think of."

"Marinette." Worry practically dripped off her voice as she spoke. "What happened?"

Marinette took a deep breath, "I was just visited by Nathaniel, who's been akumatized."

Alya was quiet for a couple seconds before letting out a short string of curses. "Did he hurt you?"

Marinette shook her head before she remembered Alya couldn't see her. "No. He…asked me on a date?"

"Please tell me you said yes."

Marinette froze, her hand gripping the phone so hard she heard it creak a little. She seriously hoped that Alya wasn't asking so she could get Marinette to record her date for the Ladyblog. "…I did."

Alya sighed, "Good. No telling what he would have done if you said no."

Marinette's heart skipped a beat. What would Nathaniel have done? He'd promised not to hurt her, but what if she had refused? What if Hawkmoth ordered him to take her to draw out Paris's heroes? Marinette shivered at the thought.

"Don't worry girl. I'll get the word out right away. I'm sure it'll get to Ladybug and Chat Noir before long."

"Thanks Alya." Marinette chewed on her lip nervously. Maybe she should take her pocket knife/belt buckle with her, just in case.

* * *

There were very few things about being Ladybug that Rose Lavillant didn't like. Her newly acquired lack a sleep, the distrust her parents and siblings now associated with her, and having to use Juleka as a regular excuse/alibi were pretty much the extent of the short list. Yet, Chloe Bourgeois was quickly making her way onto that list. She just spent the last ten minutes taking selfies with Ladybug, despite her hero's obvious discomfort. And now, only a minute after claiming that everyone loved her, Chloe was trying to force Chat to do her Physics project.

Rose knew her partner loved Physics; after all she'd gotten more than a few frustrated lecture about how their powers shouldn't work and how much it bugged him. Like anyone who loved something, he had a slight hatred for anyone who trivialized or insulted the thing he loved. So, she wasn't surprised to see Chat's tail-belt-thing flicking back and forth in irritation as he offered to tutor her, repeating that he wasn't going to just do her homework. Chloe had chosen to once again ignore the offer and scoff at the idea of doing her own homework.

As she grew more and more agitated at Chloe's blatant disrespect of her partner, Rose was honestly glad when her earrings vibrated softly. Tikki was alerting her of a mention of Evillustrator online before she lost what little control she had not to yell at Chloe. Rose pulled out her yoyo and flipping it open, read the new post on the Ladyblog. Rose covered her mouth and gasped. Marinette! Of course! Nathaniel had a crush on Marinette!

"Chat! I just got a lead I think we should check out."

Chat peaked around Chloe, one side of his mask moving upward with his eyebrow. "You sure, Buggie?"

Ladybug nodded, "Positive. This is far better than just waiting and hoping he's going to want revenge on Miss Chloe."

Chat nodded happily, side stepping around Chloe and hooking his arm around Ladybug's playfully. "Where are we heading, Little Lady?"

"You know Tom & Sabine Boulangerie Patisserie?"

Chat nodded and plucked his staff off his belt with a mischievous grin on his face. "Race you there, Buggie!"

Chat ran across the large balcony and launched himself over the side with help from his staff.

Ladybug giggled, her wings buzzing softly as she ran after him, "No fair Chat! You got a head start!" Ladybug jumped over the railing herself and threw out her yoyo to the nearest place it could grapple, her wings flaring out to slow her fall a little. Ahead of her, Chat was doing far more flips and maneuvers than was necessary, his slim form (far to thin in Ladybug's opinion) moving in ways no human should be able to. Ladybug's wings beat quickly, allowing her to hover in the air for just a second longer than gravity would naturally allow so she could throw out her yoyo to a new spot. Her short defiance of gravity wasn't visible to the civilians on the ground or even to Chat. Those short helpful hovers and a short, speedy flight for ramming or a desperate get away was all she could do with her wings. Tikki had assured her that was normal, referring to Rose as a larva affectionately and promising that once she built up her stamina she would be able to fly for up to 2 hours straight, traveling up to 74 miles at top speed if need be. Using the yoyo was currently easier on her physically, even if it was bit of a mental workout.

Chat landed on the roof nearest to the bakery a few seconds before Ladybug, sticking a perfect Olympic level landing as easy as he breathed. Ladybug smirked and took the unspoken challenge, landing gracefully beside her partner as though she'd just completed a difficult jump in ballet class. Chat stuck his tongue out at her, his tail happily curling upward a little. Ladybug just smiled and clipped her yoyo to her skirt, turning her attention to Marinette, who was standing in her doorway, appearing to be arguing with Sabrina.

"Me-ouch!" Chat exclaimed, "That girl's got some claws!"

And the puns were back… Ladybug gave Chat an exasperated look, but choose not to comment. Commenting would just make it worse. The two partners waited until Sabrina had walked just far enough away to not see them to drop down. Marinette jumped a little, he eyes wide and a small yelp escaping her throat. Ladybug relaxed her stance, ensuring that her body language was open, but professional. Rose was friends with Marinette, but Ladybug wasn't.

"Hello, are you Marinette Dupain-Cheng?" Rose let a friendly smile tug on her lips, purposely ignoring the fact that Chat thought "Sassy" was the correct way to greet a civilian.

Marinette smiled, a little too wide, her eyes darting back and forth between the two heroes. "Yes! Uh, Hello!"

"I'm Ladybug and this is Chat Noir."

Then, much to both the girls' surprise, Chat bowed low at the waist to Marinette, "A pleasure to meet you, Princess!"

Ladybug's eyes danced with wonder. Oh. My. God. He was flirting with her! Chat was flirting with Marinette! Ladybug found herself barely able to contain herself, but she was able to stop herself from jumping up and down in excitement. Why hadn't she thought of this sooner?! Chat and Marinette would be perfect for each other! It was just like in one of those teenage rom-coms! The big brother and the sister's good friend!

Ladybug stifled an excited squeal and pocked Chat in the side a little too hard. Chat pouted at her, his cat ears drooping a little.

Marinette giggled and tugged on one of her pigtails, "Yeah, I know. You guys only save Paris all the time."

Chat beamed with pride as Ladybug smiled gently, "We do our best. You said on the Ladyblog that you were visited by the Evillustrator?"

Marinette nodded and pulled a little card out of her jacket and handed it to Chat. "He didn't hurt me, he just wanted me to go on a date with him tonight."

Chat examined the card carefully as Ladybug stared at her friend in shock. No way sweet, but generally nervous Marinette had said yes, right? "And you agreed?"

Marinette nodded slowly, "I… didn't know what else to do?"

"You shouldn't have agreed. You're a civilian."

"Come on, Buggie," Chat said, pocketing the card, "What was she supposed to do? Akuma are unpredictable. If she had said no, he might have just kidnapped her."

Marinette squared her shoulders and set her jaw, a confidence Rose was used to seeing in filling her eyes, "Maybe I could help."

"No!" Chat and Ladybug found themselves snapping in unison.

Marinette crossed her arms. Ladybug pouted angrily in response. Chat looked between the two girls wondering who was going to blink first.

"You're a civilian," Ladybug insisted, "I will gladly lock you in a closet if it keeps you safe."

"She's not lying. She locked me in a closet once," Chat offered, knowing full and well that the girls weren't listening to him.

"The butterfly is in his pen. How exactly do you plan to get close enough to take it from him?"

"That is an excellent question," Chat said, pointing at Marinette.

"Not by putting a civilian directly in danger!"

The two girls glared at each other for what had to be a good minute before Ladybug finally gave in. She couldn't believe she was agreeing to this… "Fine. But we're going to watch the entire time and the second you get a chance to take the pen you do. You take the pen, give it to us, and then you run. No arguments."

Marinette nodded, "Deal."

Chat cleared her throat and both of the girls looked over at his so fast they could have gotten whiplash. "So, when are you meeting Evillustrator?"

"At sunset, on the left bank by Notre Dame."

Chat scooped up Marinette's hand and planted a light kiss on it before Marinette could react. Marinette's face shifted into a look of shock, obviously taken aback by the blatant show of affection.

"We'll see you then, Princess!" With a smile, Chat used his staff to propel himself up to the rooftops above him.

Ladybug couldn't help but beam at Marinette. Marinette and Chat were so cute! Rose was going to get them together if it was the last thing she did! Assuming Marinette didn't get herself killed tonight.

* * *

Marinette fingered her belt buckle, quickly pulling the little knife out of the buckle and flicking it open. She knew she couldn't wait her much longer, the sun was getting increasingly low in the sky and Evillustrator would be waiting for her. Still, focusing on this made her feel a little braver. She wasn't 100% sure why she had insisted on doing this, Marinette was no hero. She didn't have any special powers; she couldn't leap from rooftop to rooftop or destroy things with a simple touch or restore millions of Euros of damage with mystical glowing Ladybugs.

But, Chat had called her princess and not in the insulting way guys always seemed to mean. He had meant it. Her stomach had flipped when he said it, kissing her hand, as a knight would have in a King Arthur story. During her childhood, Marinette's parents had taken turns telling her stories. Her father would tell her all the traditional European stories; Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Beauty and the Beast, but her mother had always told her Chinese stories. Her favorite was the story of Princess Pingyang, the daughter of a Chinese Emperor and a great warrior. She led an army and helped her father rise to power, winning the hearts of her people. That was what Marinette had always thought a Princess should be like rather than the damsels from the European stories and she didn't fit that at all. If Chat Noir wanted to call her princess, than she was going to earn that title.

Marinette put her knife back in place and shook out her arms, trying to look relaxed and glanced upward. If Ladybug hadn't told her where to look, Marinette wouldn't have seen the bug themed heroine. One would think all the bright red on her suit (cheerleader uniform?) would work against her in terms of stealth, but she somehow managed to sink into the shadows just right and hide fairly well. Of course, she had no idea where to even start look for Chat Noir, who moved almost silently and wore all black, but she trusted he was nearby.  
Marinette walked over to where she was supposed to meet Evillustrator. He was drawing on his tablet, having created a long boat with a mini recreation of one of the most famous pictures of the Eiffel Tower. Marinette had to hold back a gasp. He'd taken everything into account; size, tree and light placement, even the light of the moon. It made the most beautiful little scene. He'd done all this for her?

There was a small flash of purple as a moth shaped image hovered above Evillustrator's eyes and he started to speak. Was he… talking to Hawk Moth? Suddenly, his hand spasmed and he gripped it tightly, his face contorting in pain and horror. This time, Marinette did gasp. Was Hawk Moth hurting him? Nathanael didn't deserve that.

Marinette smiled softly. She could make this a good night for him, he wouldn't have to hurt anyone if she got the pen fast enough and gave it to Ladybug. The Akuma would be cleansed and Nathanael would be home in time for bed.  
Marinette walk forward, smiling brightly at her classmate, "Happy birthday!"

Nathanael jumped up, seeming to regain control of his hand, "Marinette!"

Nathanael jumped over to her a bright smile on his face, gently placing a hand on the small of her back and gesturing toward the boat with the other one, "Thank you for coming."

"It's so beautiful," Marinette said, taking the scene in up close, "Did you make all this?"

His eyes shone with pride, "I did and all for you! Do you like it?"

Marinette smiled. This was honestly so sweet. Even as an Akuma, Nathanael didn't seem to want to hurt anything, so long as he was happy. "I love it. It's really amazing."

Nathanael's smile brightened. "I'm really glad."

Nathanael drew a bench out for the two of them sitting down gently once it appeared. Marinette followed his lead, sitting down on the bench and taking a relaxed, friendly posture. A soft buzz that could be easily mistaken for city noise reached her ears. A quick flash of red streaked past in the corner of her eye. She was glad that Nathanael was too focused on her to have seen Ladybug dart to a safer distance. As Marinette looked around she saw that Ladybug was much further away than she thought even a superhero could get to in a couple seconds.

Hm. Maybe Ladybug could fly, at least a little.

"I can get the boat started, if you'd like?"

Marinette nodded at Nathanael, blushing at his smile. What in the world had she done to get that look of adoration?

…Was that how she looked at Adrian?

Nathanael placed his pen on the tablet just as a thick cluster of dark cloud rolled in front of the moon. Nathanael growled loudly, glaring up at the clouds as if they had personally insulted him. He looked… violent. A chill ran down Marinette's spine as she reminded herself that this was an Akuma, an unpredictable villain controlled by Hawk Moth, not just sweet and shy Nathanael.

He muttered to himself as he leaned down towards one of the lamps and drew a glowing moon over the little Eiffel Tower. Of course, he was an artist and all artists needed to be able to see what they were doing to make anything. All right, that was a weakness she could pass on the Ladybug and Chat Noir if she needed to.

Nathanael turned back to her, his smile back again. "Sorry about that," He said as he tapped his tablet twice.

The boat started moving at a leisurely pace. There were a few seconds of awkward silence before Nathanael's eyes lit up and he placed his pen to his tablet again. Music lofted softly out of it in time with the musical notes that he drew. It was beautiful. The river, the lights, the music; it was a nearly perfect date and if she wasn't on it with an Akuma, Marinette would have been having a good time.

Chat Noir jumped across a couple rooftops, making himself fully visible to Marinette on purpose. Was that supposed to be a signal? Marinette was going to take that as a signal.

Marinette turned to distract Nathaniel, smiling friendlily and scooting just a little bit closer. "You're so talented! I just don't understand why you would want to use your power to hurt people."

"Not all people, just Chloe," Nathaniel answered, his voice soft and reassuring, "And I'll never do that again. After all, you kept your promise, so I'll keep mine."

Marinette leaned closer, "I actually draw a little too. I'm not as good as you are, of course…"

"I'm sure you're a wonderful artist."

Marinette draped her arm over the back of the bench, glancing back quickly at where Chat Noir and Ladybug had landed. Both heroes had their weapons at the ready, crouched low and shoulders tensed in anticipation of their attack. Marinette waved them off. She was all right; she just needed a couple more seconds….

"Well, can I draw you something special for your birthday?" Marinette reached forward and softly gripped the top of his pencil with two fingers. For a second, the shock on his face makes it look as if he was insulted that she'd stopped his in the middle of a pen stroke. Marinette has to be careful not to let her nerves show, making an effort to keep her face calm and pleasant and her shoulders from tensing.

The shock quickly melts off Nathaniel's face, once again replaced with wonder and adoration, "That would be amazing…"

The moment was broken suddenly by a single sharp tap echoing behind them. Marinette had to physically stop herself from wincing. Ladybug's heel. The entire plan was going to be ruined by Ladybug's impossible (probably magical) Wonder Woman heels. What kind of superhero battled crime in 4-inch block heels anyways?

"Marinette. Give me my pencil back. I need to draw something. Now."

'"No, I'm… keeping it!" Marinette snatched the pencil and darted away from Nathaniel, "Chat Noir! Ladybug!"

A zipping sound and the whirr of Chat's extending staff reached her ears as soon as she was off the bench. Turning she saw Chat's staff had pinned Nathaniel to the bench and Ladybug had wrapped her yoyo string around the arm with his tablet on it.

"Marinette!" Nathaniel growled, his mouth pulled into an angry snarl and his eyes hard, "You're working with them?! I'm so stupid... I actually thought you liked me! But you're really just like Chloé. Teasing me, mocking me, leading me on!"

Marinette made a frustrated noise and stomped her foot. "Come on! Seriously?! Why is everyone comparing me to Chloe today?!"

Chat Noir's grip seemed to loosen a bit as he looked at Marinette.

"Marinette! Break the pen!" Ladybug shouted, pulling Nathaniel's arm back so quickly the tablet cracked.

Nathaniel let out a loud, angry scream and moved to try to attack Ladybug, but the bug themed hero was too fast. Her wings buzzing so fast Marinette couldn't see them as she jumped over Nathaniel and landed next to Marinette, her yoyo extended just enough so that it could be thrown out easily.

Marinette dropped the pen and stomped hard, breaking it under her foot. Marinette let out a small gasp as a surprisingly pretty purple and white butterfly fluttered out. Ladybug's yoyo shot out opening and then closing around the Akuma as Chat and Nathaniel wrestled around on the floor of the boat. Chat had the advantage of supernatural strength, but Nathaniel seemed perfectly willing to use his elbows, knees, and teeth to try to get Chat off him.

Ladybug somehow balanced up on one toe, the other leg tucked up like a ballerina, and spun, throwing her yoyo up as she did, releasing a slightly glowing pure white butterfly into the air. The tiny superhero came to a stop, toes pointed just right. She had to be a ballerina Marinette realized; there was no way anyone who wasn't trained in ballet would choose to move like that. She pulled her yoyo back to her hand for just a second before throwing it back into the air.

"Miraculous Ladybug!"

Hundreds of glowing pink Ladybugs shot out of her yoyo, spreading out over the city to fix any damage Nathaniel may have done. Marinette found herself hoping they got rid of the pigeons that had taken up residence in her room. Marinette sighed softly as the ladybugs flew over them, disappearing Nathaniel's work before they disappeared themselves. Chat jumped up as black-purple goo spread over Nathaniel, turning him back into his true form.

Ladybug held out her a closed fist to Marinette, beaming. "You did a good job."

"Oh!" Marinette smiled sheepishly, bumping her fist against the super heroine's. "Thanks."

"But you're never doing this again, got it?"

Marinette chuckled, "I'll try."

"M-Marinette?" Marinette turned to see Chat Noir helping Nathaniel up.

"Nathaniel, are you alright?"

Nathaniel looked between Chat Noir and Ladybug nervously, "Was I an Akuma?"

Ladybug nodded, "You were. How are you doing?"

"Uh, confused?"

"That's normal." Ladybug smiled lightly, "It might help you to know that you didn't hurt anyone. You were by far the least destructive Akuma Chat and I have ever fought."

Nathaniel looked down nervously, "T-thanks? Marinette, what are you doing here? I didn't…?"

Marinette squeezed Nathaniel's shoulder, "No, of course not. You were a gentleman. You asked me on a date, which I agreed to of my own free will-"

"Which will never happen again!"

Marinette sighed, letting her face fall into her hands. "…She's been saying that all day."

Nathaniel smiled, a light blush dusting his cheeks. "I'm sure she means well."

"Ladybug's just protective is all," Chat said, walking over to them, "She doesn't like seeing people in danger. Why don't we get you two home? I'm sure your families are worried about you."

Ladybug and Chat Noir grabbed Nathaniel and Marinette, jumping off the boat and carrying them to the riverbank. Chat Noir held her lightly, but securely against his side. Marinette couldn't help but blush. Chat Noir had the body proportions of a model and absolutely no fat on his waist and hips. Marinette may have been worried about that if she also didn't feel his defined abs and thick biceps.

"Hold on, Princess," he said, extending his staff to the ground. Marinette wrapped her arms around his neck. Chat pushed off the boat, using his staff to safely propel his jump to the riverbed.

He touched down lightly as Ladybug's earrings beeped. She winced and turned to her partner, who simply nodded and gestured for her to leave.

"Do either of you need help getting home? I have plenty of time left to help you out."

Nathaniel shook his head, "We're only a few minutes from my apartment, I can make it back without a problem."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah. I need to do some thinking anyways."

"Alright. What about you, Princess?"

Marinette looked around and shook her head, "I'm not sure how to get home from here."

Chat visibly perked up, his tail straightening out and his ears rotating forward as his eyes lit up. Marinette had to stop herself from laughing at the superhero. He was literally the human embodiment of an actual cat.

Chat flourished into a low bow, positively glowing, "It would be my honor to escort you home, Princess!"

Marinette yelped as Chat pulled her close, jumping into the air before she could respond to his offer or say goodbye to Nathaniel. Chat Noir form of travel was fairly rough. He mostly used his staff to propel himself over buildings, but sometimes he had to use the buildings themselves. Even with Marinette in his arms, he moved with grace, purpose, and balance that no human had business being capable of.

It only took them a little over five minutes to get to Marinette's house. Chat Noir landed on her balcony, setting her down as he did.

"Thank you, Chat Noir."

Chat Noir crouched on the railing naturally. "It's my pleasure, Princess."

Marinette rolled her eyes, but smiled. He meant well and it wasn't doing anything wrong after all.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she said, "Nothing happened."

"Alright, if you're sure. Just try not to get involved like that again, okay?"

Marinette couldn't help but smirk, "So Ladybug isn't the only protective one?"

Chat laughed. "No, I guess not. She just usually shows it by yelling at you or shoving you in 'safe places.'"

"And you?"

Chat shrugged in response, "I don't like to take people's choices away. But, it would make me feel better if you didn't throw yourself into possible danger regularly."

Marinette nodded, an easy smile plastered on her face. "I'll do my best. "

"That's all I ask." Chat stood up and rolled his shoulders before plucking her staff from the small of his back. "I need to get going. Have a good night, Princess!"

With that, Chat jumped off her balcony, using his staff to propel himself across the street before disappearing into the night. Marinette watched the direction he had disappeared for about thirty seconds longer than she needed to. Chat Noir was pleasantly surprising. Marinette climbed back into her room, quietly. Her parents were likely already asleep so they could be up for work in the early morning. Equally as quietly, she got ready for bed. Now that she had stopped moving and the adrenaline had drained away, she found that the night had been extremely tiring. Her limbs felt heavy and her eyes kept slipping closed.

Her mind muddled with drowsiness and still full of the night's events, Marinette failed to notice the black hexagon shaped box waiting to be opened on her vanity.

* * *

 **Some lines and scenes were taken directly from the show. I don't own these.**

 **This chapter was mostly more set up, but get ready for the really exciting stuff next chapter!**

 **First glimpses at Rose as Ladybug. As Chat and Ladybug acting like siblings.**

 **Please let me know what you thought!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three: Peacock Fans**

The next morning was pleasantly uneventful. Marinette humored Alya with a short, vague interview in which the only thing she really told her friend was "Chat Noir is a flirt." Considering that Chat was far more reserved with himself than Ladybug, Alya ate that up. Rose kept smiling at her and giggling in a way that was slightly unsettling. Unfortunately, Juleka had been just as confused as Marinette was. Fortunately, every time Rose started giggling Kim looked ready to bolt out of the room in terror. That pretty much made up for how creepy the small girl was acting.

Aside from that, everything went normally. Alya texted to Ladyblog readers from the US (why were they awake?) instead of paying attention, Nino listened to music when he was supposed to be filling out a worksheet, Mylene and Ivan made lovely-dovey eyes at each other, Alix and Kim played paper football when their Maths teacher wasn't watching, Chloe continued to be Chloe with Sabrina once again agreeing with her every word, Nathaniel spent the entire day doodling away in his sketchbook, and Adrien attempted to answer every single question in Physics with more gusto than anyone should have where Physics was concerned.

When lunch hour came, Marinette rushed home with a smile on her face. Inspiration had struck right before Physics had ended. Marinette had seen the little Ladybug action figures and articulated dolls and the occasion Chat Noir action figure displayed on every street kiosk in Paris. Little kids played with light up Ladybug yoyos and plastic Chat Noir staffs would be clutched in the hands of their friends who ran behind them. Marinette had a different idea. Kids younger than five couldn't play with those toys, you couldn't snuggle up in bed with an action figure, or place something so delicate into a child's arms without worry about them chocking.

So, Marinette was going to make plush dolls of Ladybug _and_ Chat Noir and if Manon liked them she may even sell them online. She had designs to draw, patterns to make, and supplies to buy. Oh, and lunch. She should probably eat lunch.

So, Marinette made a quick detour to a kitchen to grab a sandwich and some fruit. Marinette had taken a single bit of her sandwich and pulled out her sketchpad when she noticed something strange. There was a black hexagonal box with Chinese characters on the top sitting on her vanity. Marinette did not own a black hexagonal box with Chinese characters on the top.

Thinking it was from her mother Marinette curiously picked it up, examined it for a couple seconds, and then opened it. A beautiful teal brooch shaped like a peacock fan with nine little green gems and a single blue gem on it.

Suddenly, a bright blue ball of light surrounded the brooch and lifted into the air. Marinette screeched, dropped the box, and jumped backward. A little form started to fade into existence in front of her. Within a couple seconds a tiny flying bird-mouse thing was floating in front of her. It looked a little like a peacock actually, with a long blue feather tail with pink eyes on it and a few crown feathers.

The little being yawned and stretched, shaking out its feathers as it opened its eyes, which had blue sclera, pink irises, and only the slightest hint of pupils.

"Oh! Hello Marinette!" the little bird thing wiggled his butt a little, a wide smile on his face, "I'm so happy to meet you!"

The bird thing could talk. The bird thing that had come out of a piece of jewelry could talk. So, Marinette did the only reasonable thing she could do. Scream and throw the nearest thing she could grab at the creature.

The little bird thing dodged and looked a little surprised. "Well, that hasn't happened in a while… Marinette, please," Marinette threw a book. "Please calm down! I promise I mean you no ill will! Allow me a chance to explain!"

Marinette froze and held another book at the ready. "Yeah. Yeah. Explanation is good. What are you and how do you know my name?"

The little bird creature sighed, "I am Duusu, the peacock Kwami of time and truth." He did a little bow and smiled at Marinette.

"A what now?"

Duusu settle on the chair in front of Marinette patiently. "A Kwami. An ancient being of great power tied to a Miraculous."

Marinette lowered the book a little, "Miraculous? Like those things Hawk Moth is always trying to steal from Ladybug and Chat Noir?"

"Yes, exactly!" Duusu nodded. "Ladybug's Miraculous is a pair of earrings, Chat Noir's is a ring, and the Peacock Miraculous is this brooch. Using the Miraculous, us Kwami are able to transfer some of our powers into a worthy human of our choice."

Marinette licked her lips nervously. "And you chose me?"

"I did."

Marinette took a deep breath and set the book down. This was just…wow. Only last night she'd helped Ladybug and Chat Noir take down an Akuma and now there was a… tiny fairy (?) in her room asking her to do it again, on a more regular basis. A warm feeling settled in Marinette's stomach. She could help people, really help them. Deep down, if she really thought about it, Marinette knew that she would accept, but she really needed more information.

"I have questions."

"Of course," Duusu said, "What do you want to know?"

Marinette paused for a second, trying to decide which question to ask first. "I know Ladybug and Chat Noir have special powers…"

Duusu saw where she was going before Marinette had even asked. "Yes, the ladybug Miraculous is associated with creation and the black cat with destruction. Peacocks are seers, associated with truth and time."

"Seers? Like psychics?"

Duusu giggled, "I've had more than a few chosens with that gift, but no. Seeing is far more complicated by that. Seeing is about truth. That truth can be found in the past, in the future, or even in the present."

"How does that work?"

"That varies between each chosen. Some have dreams, others waking visions, tarot cards, using the traditional methods of their people. I even had one chosen who could draw the future."

Marinette found herself thinking again. That was definitely a helpful power, but in the field? How in the world would that be anything but a hindrance in battle?

"Is that it?"

"No, not at all." Duusu grinned at her, his eyes sparkling. "Most of my chicks have been able to tell when someone is lying, both when they are transformed and when they are not. When transformed, you'll have the usual set of powers. Enhanced strength, agility, and speed, better endurance. The suit provides a lot of protection from physical and magical attacks. But, most fun of all, you can fly in the suit. Only short distances and never for very long, but still!"

"What about any special abilities? I know that Ladybug and Chat Noir both have special powers. Uh… Cataclysm and Lucky Charm, right?"

Duusu blinked, "Wow. You are well informed. Yes, there are three special powers associated with the peacock. The Peacock's Song is the easiest to use and doesn't drain any power. Think of it like a sonic ability, by screaming you can do a great amount of damage, but with practice it can be aimed and controlled much better. The second, Fan Spread, is a defensive move and does drain power. After you use it, you'll only have five minutes before you turn back. Clear Eyes works in the same way, but it gives you a short clear vision of the immediate future."

"Okay," Marinette said, standing up, "Okay. How does this all work?"

Duusu floated up so he was able to better look Marinette in the eyes. "You're taking this rather well, not that I'm complaining of course, I'm just curious."

Marinette giggled, "I think you might have chosen just the right time to show up. Last night, I actually helped Chat Noir and Ladybug with an Akuma. I didn't do all that much, but still. Now you're here, giving me the chance to help more people? How could I turn that down?"

Duusu smiled, "I knew you would be the right one. For now, just put on the brooch. Let's eat some lunch. Tonight, we can transform and you can stretch your wings when you'll have plenty of time too."

Marinette nodded, "Sounds good. Uh, what do you eat?"

"I'm quite fond of fruits."

Marinette picked up the bowl of blueberries, "Will these work?"

Duusu squealed, "Absolutely!"

Marinette watched as Duusu floated around her room, looking around curiously as he munched on a blueberry. The insanity of this entire moment would hit her eventually, she was sure, but right now she mostly felt excited. Marinette picked up the brooch and examined it curiously. Even devoid of color it would stand out too much against her day clothes. Maybe…

Marinette shrugged her jacket off one shoulder and carefully pinned the brooch into place before pulling the jacket over it. It fit comfortably under her jacket and didn't leave any sort of outline against the black. That would work.

Duusu was floating in front of one of Marinette's boards, munching on a new blueberry and examining her sketches. "These are lovely. You're a fashion designer?"

"Oh! Thank you." Marinette blushed. "Well, that's what I want to do at least. I'm really still learning."

"Good. Never stop learning. The moment you think you have learned it all is really when you should be searching the most."

Marinette couldn't help but snort. "Are those little tidbits of wisdom going to be common."

Duusu stuck his little nose in the air, looking a little insulted. "Only when they are the truth."

Marinette leaned back and took a bite of her sandwich. When it was time to leave for the afternoon, Duusu slipped into Marinette's little pink purse and Marinette put a Madeiran orange in too so Duusu could have something to munch on incase he got hungry.

Nothing happened at school, much to Marinette's relief. Honestly, she really, really didn't like the idea of having to transform and fight an Akuma before she'd even gotten to transform for herself. She wanted to know what her suit looked like, how it felt to fly, what it felt and looked like to have the strength and power Ladybug and Chat Noir always seemed to glow with.

Marinette went out with Ayla for a couple hours after school, finally having convinced her to put down her phone for a few minutes and just enjoy herself. Ayla had protested that she enjoyed her research and talking to her fans, but Marinette wasn't having any of that.

It was just window shopping mostly. Duusu seemed to be having as much fun as the two girls when he dared to poke his head out of Marinette's purse. His eyes sparkled as he looked at all the clothing and accessories. Marinette had giggled at the sight and even asked him for his opinion on a pair of earrings when Ayla was distracted by a pair of boots.

"Do you remember the words?" Duusu asked, floating next to Marinette as she stood in front of her full-length mirror.

"Yep!"

Duusu still looked hesitant. "Marinette, my sweet chick, I have no wish to push you into this before you're ready. Once you transform, it will only be a matter of time before you have your first vision. I want you to be sure of what you are committing to by doing this. Time is not an easy burden to bare."

Marinette lifted her hands, letting Duusu sit in her palms, "Maybe I don't know completely what I'm getting into, but does anyone really? What I do know is that I want to help Ladybug and Chat Noir, I want to help Paris, and I do not want my first transformation to come when I'm needed in battle."

Duusu smiled up at her, "Very well then. Let's do this."

Marinette planted her feet and pulled her jacket to the side, revealing the brooch pinned to her shirt. "Duusu! Feathers Flared!"

Duusu dove into the brooch and Marinette felt power wash over her. Part of Marinette wanted to close her eyes, but she forced herself to watch.

A wave of blue energy washed over her, starting from the brooch and moving out over her entire body as she watched the suit form. She gasped in wonder as the wave stopped. The suit was beautiful. Everything went together just right and she supposed she did look a bit like a peacock.

Most of the single piece suit was a deep cerulean blue, fading to bright green at the wrists and knees to make green boots and gloves. The collar of her suit was reminiscent of a Chinese Qipao, the white pipping standing out against the blue of the suit while the brooch took the place of the usual clasps. Her mask resembled Chat's far more than Ladybug's, the blue cloth covering most of her cheeks and forehead. Even her hair ties had changed, replaced with blue ribbons adorned with little pompoms to resemble the crown feathers on a peacock's head. Actually, now that she looked closer at her hair, Marinette thought it may have taken on a slightly blue tinge.

What really drew her attention, though, was the tail. It was long and sheer, resembling a very long scarf tied around her hips, but it had to many tails. Marinette counted six, each sporting a purple and blue eye.

Experimentally, Marinette concentrated on the tail. She had seen Chat Noir's move and wanted to see if hers would as well. As soon as she focused in on it, it stopped swishing the way a loose scarf would, and stiffened, just a little. Marinette swished it back and forth a few times before relaxing, the tail sticking close to each other and in place.

Cool.

Marinette moved with an elegance and grace she wasn't aware she possessed as she tip toed over to her bed, nimbly climbed the ladder and slipped out the trap door without making more than a series of soft pats. She stood at the edge of her balcony garden, taking a few long, deep, breaths as she looked out over the sparkling Paris skyline. Just a short glide, from here across the street. She could do this.

Marinette slide closer to the edge, letting her toes dangle a little. Instinctively, she spread her arms out as if they were wings, took one more deep breath, and jumped.

Part of Marinette still expected to hit the ground, but she didn't. Almost as if her body was acting on its own, her legs came together and moved behind her. If only lasted a few seconds, but Marinette had felt it, her body hovering as she moved forward. She pulled her legs forward as the roof across the street drew closer and she felt herself lowering. Marinette came to a running stop, laughing as she spun in place. She had _flown!_

Marinette spun around, looking for a place to try again. There! That roof would require upward movement, not just a jump! With just a light push off the roof, Marinette felt the air take under her arms, lifting her up. Within moments, she was landing of the roof of the taller building. This was amazing! She could do this for hours!

Marinette was so caught up in the elation of flying, of the power pulsing through her body, that the rest of the world around her slipped away. She was no Chat Noir after all, and the iridescent blue was her suit practically glowed under the warm yellow street lights. In the current climate of Paris, she did not go unnoticed.

More than a few pictures and a single video were captured on Marinette's first night out without her noticing and promptly posted onto Ladyblog forums and sent directly to Alya. Before Marinette had even slipped into bed that same night, rumors and theories about the mysterious flying woman in blue had swept through Paris.


	4. Chapter 4

**IMPORTANT INFORMATION:br /**

 **DON'T WORRY, I AM CONTINUING THIS STORY UNTIL IT'S FINISHED, I JUST THINK THERE'S A FEW THINGS THAT I NEED TO ADDRESS WITH YOU ALL**

 **1) THANK YOU ALL FOR YOU ENTHUSIASM ABOUT THIS STORY! I love this story as much as all of you and I love getting your reviews and I'm glad you're all so excited for new chapters! Unfortunately, it's difficult for me to keep up with all the questions you leave in your reviews. With that in mind, I'm asking you to direct questions to my tumblr: (DiannaPhantomFiction). It will be easier for me to answer questions you may have and for you to get those answers. This will be the hub for Cerulean Wing questions and status updates.**

 **2) I started writing this before season two. With that in mind, this will all be VERY NOT CANNON. Miraculous will be going to different characters. All of them. (except Adrien). Some story lines will be different. Even the history and lore will be different. New non cannon miraculous will be included. Please keep this in mind.**

 **3) I've seen A LOT of character blaming in this fandom lately. I understand most of the fandom is much younger than myself, but it's been bothering me. With that in mind, I would like to say there will be none of that in this story. The only person getting blamed for akumas will the Hawk Moth. This does not mean that I will not address it when character in my stories make mistakes, or that I condone behaviors like Chloe's or Lila's. What this means is that within this story, I will be examining the characters, their actions, their backstories, their knowledge, the knowledge of the people around them, the situations they are in, and, when necessary, my knowledge of mental illnesses. For instance, I will not have Marinette apologizing for going to her own birthday party after asking her grandmother if it was okay AFTER spending all day making her happy by doing things she doesn't enjoy. I will address Chameleon when I get to it, I promise, but for now, keep that in mind.**

 **Thank you all for your attention! Now, go forth and enjoy Chapter Four!**

* * *

 **Chapter 4: Satisfaction Brought it Back**

Adrien was exhausted, but he supposed staying up all night patrolling Paris would do that to someone. Usually, they didn't patrol all night. Ladybug had a set schedule she liked to keep to and had carefully split Paris into grids so they could cover as much of the city as possible. After they patrolled, they would meet up at the Eiffel Tower and snacked on pastries Ladybug insisted on bringing everyday (honestly, he'd only fainted once). They had been snacking and chatting, Ladybug cooing over his star charts (apparently love was coming to him soon), when their weapons beeped with a Ladyblog alert. The blue woman was mysterious and frankly akuma-ish, which meant more patrol. It had almost been 5 am before Chat had convinced Ladybug it was time to go home.

Plagg hadn't been much help this morning, mostly moaning about sleep and cheese, but he did say he didn't think the blue lady was an Akuma. Adrien had tried to press for more, but Plagg had just moaned for cheese and went to sleep.

Adrien often wondered if Ladybug had these problems with her Kwami. (Probably not.)

Nico looked at Adrien in concern as he let his head hit the desk loudly.

"Ow."

"You okay man?"

"Tired."

"I can tell."

Adrien groaned as his phone vibrated. The display read Clover, followed by a little ladybug emoji. In the earliest days of their partnership, Ladybug had insisted they needed something to call each other besides their hero names. She'd told him to call her Clover with a giggle and a mad look in her eyes, he'd panicked and yelled out Felix before he could stop himself.

"Man, your girlfriend texts you at the weirdest times."

"Clover isn't my girlfriend," he defended, too tired to realize that the sentence didn't help his argument.

The text was short, simply letting him know that she'd take half of his patrol tonight since they'd been up all night. Adrien sent her a Pusheen iPhone sticker where the cat was sleeping. She told him stop whining.

Adrien looked up as Marinette rushed into the classroom, not late for the first time this week. Her pigtails were bouncing as she hopped up the stairs. How was it possible for someone to be that cute? It just wasn't fair. She was oddly energized today, greeting Alya, Nino and Juleka with a sing song quality to her voice.

Adrien held back a sigh. Meeting her as Chat Noir had been a god send, mostly because she hadn't been intimidated by Chat. Adrien got to treat her with the respect she deserved and he got to call her the name that had been on the tip of his tongue for weeks. It had been glorious. Sure, Plagg had made fun of him and he was pretty sure Natalie thought he had gone mad, but it had been glorious.

"How's those designs going, girl?" Alya asked, completely unaware that Adrien was listening in.

"Pretty good. I'm almost ready to make prototypes. You want to see?"

"Definitely!"

"Sure."

Alya and Juleka leaned over and examined the picture Adrien couldn't see.

"Aw! They're adorable!" Alya cooed.

"Rad." Juleka said, a little smirk on her face. "Can I get a Ladybug when you're done?"

"Sure! They won't be too expensive!"

"I can advertise them on the Ladyblog! You'll get lots more costumers that way!"

Now Adrien was very curious, he turned around. "Sell what online?"

Alya nudged Marinette cheerfully. "Our girl is making the most adorable little dolls of Ladybug and Chat Noir! They're going to be a big hit!"

"Really? Are you taking orders yet?"

"Oh… uh… not yet, the first Chat is mine!" Marinette shuttered.

Adrien couldn't help but turn bright red. She was claiming the first doll of him she made of him for herself! He was going to squeal! So, even though he knew he had a long night ahead of him, he felt like he was walking on air for the rest of the day, like the sun was shining on a warm summer day. Marinette liked him! Well, Chat Noir, but still!

He was still smiling hours later, after school and a photoshoot, still smiling as he finished his patrol for the night. Plagg would tease him mercilessly about this, of course, but Adrien didn't even care. His Princess liked him!

Chat landed on a roof and leaned against his staff, staring out over the sparkling Paris skyline with a dreamy smile on his face. Life was good. It was pure luck that he caught exactly what he was looking for at that time. It was just a flash of blue, but it was all he needed to see to be reminded of the real reason he was staying out past his normal patrol time despite the tiredness that had long since set into his bones. The Lady in Blue.

"WAIT!" he called, taking off after her. It was like a game of cat and mouse, wherein the mouse was far more skilled at maneuvering through the Paris skyline. And Chat was a master at that, a real alley cat at home on roofs and in small alleyways, he could jump and run and balance on the level of an Olympic athlete, but this girl, she seemed to _glide_ around the skyline.

Chat came to a stop at a corner of the roof of a tall building, doubling over and panting. Oh, even transformed he couldn't take this much running. He was going to faint again and Ladybug was going to yell at him. For such a tiny girl, she could be really, really terrifying.

"Look! Blue Lady! I know you're not an akuma! Come on, I just want to talk to you!"

Chat started panting again. Too much running. Too much running.

The Blue Lady appeared and Chat had to admit, under the Paris lights, she looked downright magical. She floated down to the roof, landing with gentle feet. She took half a step back, pulling her hands close to her chest and biting her lip.

"Uh… hi?" She waved a little and then pulled her hand back so it was in front of her brooch.

"Hi, I'm Chat Noir."

"I know. I mean, obviously. I'm sorry I made you run all over…I thought I'd have more time and I…got nervous." She blushed, the bright red standing out against her blue mask. "And I really don't want my Miraculous broken."

Chat's heart dropped and he rubbed his ring for a second before putting his hands up in a placating manor. "Hey, I'm sorry. So, you wield a Miraculous too?"

"Yeah," she moved her hands, "The Peacock."

Chat took a step forward, trying to get a closer look at the brooch. She certainly looked like a wielder, but things weren't always what they seemed. "Do you mind if I ask you some questions?"

The girl shook her head.

"Alright, so, how does a Miraculous work?"

"The Miraculouses themselves are just conduits of power, the actual powers come from the Kwami attached to the Miraculous."

"What's your Kwami's name?"

"Duusu."

"You said you wield the Peacock Miraculous. What does that mean?"

The girl smiled, not much, but a little, like she was proud of her powers. "The Peacock is the Kwami of Truth and Time. My major powers resolve around looking into the time stream and finding truth there, but I do have both an offensive move, Peacock's Song, and a defensive move, Fan Spread. The Song is a sonic attack and Fan Spread is a shield of sorts. Also, I can _fly_."

Chat sent a questioning thought to Plagg. _Is everything she's saying true?_ Plagg spelled out Y-E-S in Morse code vibration from the ring. Chat beamed and held out his hand to the Peacock. "I believe you. It's nice to meet you, …?"

"Oh uh, I haven't come up with a name yet." She looked down, her blush spreading a little, but she shook his hand.

"Don't worry about it! I'm pretty sure Ladybug just said the first thing that came to her mind! I don't know why that was in American English but…" he shrugged, still smiling at her. He couldn't stop smiling. This may just be the best day of his life! Marinette liked him _and_ was meeting a new partner/friend/sister?! Did life get any better than this?!

* * *

Rose had been locked out of her house again. It wasn't exactly an uncommon occurrence these days. Ever since she became Ladybug, she had become the "problem child" of the family. Her little sisters, the triplets, Johanna, Lucile, and Melina, would often watch as her parents lectured her for missing class or staying out after curfew, often placing blame on her sexuality, her friends, and her girlfriend. They seemed to think she was hanging around the "wrong type" of lesbians.

Rose's older brothers, Corin and Xavier, didn't even speak to her anymore, not really, not in anyway that mattered. Rose considered herself lucky to have Felix, Chat Noir.

Rose jingled her doorknob furiously, feeling her heart drop. Tikki peered at her Chosen from the little drawstring bag attached to Rose's belt she usually hid in. She could feel Rose getting more and more distressed. Rose picked up the potted plant beside the door. No key. She bolted around the corner into the alleyway. The fire escape latter was locked up and Rose was sure even if she transformed to get up to her window of the townhouse that the window itself would be locked.

Rose nearly collapsed against the wall, rubbing her wetness from her eyes. She was emtired. /emShe just wanted to sleep in her own bed tonight. It wasn't like she had the money for a hostel and she didn't like having to ask Tikki to transform more than once a day if she didn't have to. It wasn't fair to her.

Tikki flew out of her hiding spot and nuzzled into Rose's cheek. "Let's go to Juleka's."

"Are, are you sure?"

Tikki nods, giving Rose a reassuring smile. As far as families went, Rose's was far from the worst of her Chosen's, but also far from the best. They had no problem with Rose's sexuality, but only if she dated someone, they decided was a "good girl" and that didn't include girls who liked alternative fashion styles and art like Juleka. It didn't matter that Rose made As and Bs, her absences clearly meant that she was a careless student and thus couldn't be trusted with after school activities. Rose had to fight to be allowed to continue to dance, but she'd lost scrapbooking club, art club, and culinary club. Tikki knew Rose was highly social and liked to keep busy, so loosing all of this at once had killed her a little inside.

Tikki had chosen Rose for several reasons. Her caring and giving heart, always willing to help others. Her steadfast hold on what was right. Her gentle, open, and friendly nature. And, of course, her beautifully upbeat attitude. It may just crush Tikki a little to see that disappear because of careless parents. Rose needed it, and so did Chat Noir, who had a fairly negative outlook on life under all the jokes and false confidence.

"Aren't you hungry? And tired?"

"I am, but we can make it to Juleka's and she always keeps those toffees in her desk."

Rose pushed off the wall and rubbed her eyes. "Alright, but only if you're sure."

"I'm sure Rose."

Rose nodded. "Tikki, spots on."

Rose felt her the tension in her shoulders as the magic washed over her. She loved being Ladybug, she really did, but nothing compared to the feeling of pure power washing over her body as she first transformed and the rush right after. She stretched, letting a small smile graze her lips. Well, she did love swinging around the city at least. Rose passed her yoyo between her hands, she flicked it up and down a few times before letting it fly.

She'd only been up for a few minutes before her yoyo started to ring. Rose landed on a nearby roof to answer.

"Hey Felix."

"Hey Buggie, you got a minute?"

Chat sounded way to excited for this time of night. "Is this an emergency?"

"Not as such. But it's important! I promise! It's about the Lady in Blue."

Rose sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Alright. But if this turns out not to be important, I'm making you do extra patrols. And throwing you at the next Akuma."

"As if you wouldn't do the second thing anyways. Our usual meeting place?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes." Rose hung up and allowed herself to deflate for a second before squaring her shoulders. She was exhausted and she knew Chat was as well, so it was likely extremely important, but still she needed to _sleep_.

She changed direction, moving to meet Chat rather than to cuddle with her girlfriend in a soft warm bed. Oh, she wanted to cuddle so badly…

As Rose approached the meeting spot she was surprised to see that Chat wasn't alone. There was a blue figure standing next to her partner. If Chat thought she was an akuma he would have attacked her by now. Maybe today she needed to have a little more faith in her partner than usual. Just because cats were nocturnal didn't mean he was. He was probably just as tired as she was which meant he wouldn't have called her without a good reason.

Rose landed, first on her toes, bending her knees to soften the landing before letting her heels fall to the ground. After Evilillustrator, Rose had been pleased to see her shoes than changed from Wonder Woman heels to a combination between boots and pointe shoes, solid in color, but with a flexible sole and the perfect fitting box and platform for her toes. She moved much more naturally now, her fighting style not weighed down by the heels.

Chat rushed forward, giving her a pat on the shoulder and a halfhearted apology about keeping her up. Rose wasn't paying attention to him though, all of her focus was on the peacock themed girl shifting nervously in front of her. Her tail, a collection of soft silk trailing behind her, was stiff, straight as a board and sticking out from her body. Her hands, clasped in front of her chest, were as far away from her weapons, two fans attached to her hips, one on each side of her tail-belt, as possible. She looked like a scared bird, ready to fly off at the first sign of danger.

And then Rose saw it. It had to be a Miraculous. No other piece of jewelry felt so…powerful. Tikki buzzed excitedly inside the earring, making Rose's ears buzz enough that they tickled.

Rose stepped forward to the girl and held out her hand, smiling a bright and encouraging smile. "Hello, I'm Ladybug."

The other girl relaxed visibly her tail curling, her shoulder squaring, and a smile replacing the nervous look on her face. The peacock shook Ladybug's hand. "It's nice to officially meet you! I'm the holder of the Peacock Miraculous…Cerulean Wing and I'm here to help!"


End file.
